From Chaos to Calm

Clear the clutter and turn your home into a stress-free zone

Your house is supposed to be your sanctuary. The one place where you can relax after a long, hectic day. But if you're met with clutter every time you enter a room, you'll never feel a sense of serenity. These zen-boosting organizational tips can help put the om back into your home.

Family fun

The family room is where you all gather to relax. But how relaxing is it to spend 10 minutes looking for the remote? Control clutter in four easy steps:

First, set up different areas of the room for different tasks: a reading corner with a lamp and a magazine rack; an entertainment area with DVDs, video games and remotes neatly corralled in one place; a space for board and card games. That way, everything you require for a relaxing time with your family is right where you need it, explains Julie Morgenstern, author of When Organizing Isn't Enough: SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life.

Second, figure out what items are taking up space, like DVDs you never watch, says Donna Smallin, author of The One-Minute Organizer A to Z Storage Solutions. Donate them to charity.

Next, store items with no designated shelf or drawer in plastic boxes, keeping like items together. Now you'll find what you're looking for in a jiffy. Finally, make a family pledge: Everyone vows to put stuff back in its appropriate spot after each use.

A cook's haven

Joy of Cooking isn't just a book title—at least it shouldn't be. But a messy kitchen can sap all the pleasure out of creating meals, says psychotherapist Tina B. Tessina, PhD. Even worse, clutter invites more clutter: If one family member leaves items on the counter, the rest of you will too.

Start reversing the trend by clearing out your "stagnant cabinet"—the one full of dented pots and never-used tools, says Morgenstern. It's a gold mine of space that's just going to waste. Toss the broken stuff, give away the rest and use the cabinet to store the day-to-day items clogging countertops. Now you'll have more room to spread out when it's time to cook. Also look for storage in atypical yet handy places, says Ronni Eisenberg, coauthor of Organize Your Life. Hooks installed on the inside of cabinet doors can hold measuring spoons and other small utensils.

Extra Zen Put out a bowl of apples or store garlic and onions in a tiered hanging basket. "There's a sense of peace that comes when we look at food," says life coach Victoria Moran, author of the forthcoming Living a Charmed Life.

An organized bathroom

A little reorganization can turn your bathroom into an efficient space and a spa-like refuge. Make good use of vanity drawers by adding dividers to keep cosmetics, hair tools and toiletries orderly and at your fingertips. Draw up a template of your drawers so you can find the right combo of dividers, says Eisenberg. Now put your medicine cabinet to work: It's prime real estate in a storage-starved bathroom. "Use it solely for daily grooming tools," says Morgenstern. Stow meds and first-aid products in a basket in the linen closet.

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Finally, be ready to build your bath in a snap. Store everything you need for a soothing soak in a tote bag and hang it on the inside doorknob, suggests Smallin. "Put in your neck pillow, a scented candle, bath beads, a gel eye mask and a book or magazine," she says. "When you're ready for some tub time, just reach for your 'bath in a bag.'"

Extra Zen Get inspired while you unwind. Hang a bulletin board filled with aspirational images, like photos of tropical islands to visit.

Office ahhh

Whether your home office is a dedicated room or a sliver of kitchen counter space, it should be as inviting as possible. After all, it's the spot where you do such stress-inducing tasks as paying bills and filling out tax forms. Create a sense of calm by first putting a dent in those piles of papers. "Much of what gets stacked up are to-do items," says Morgenstern. "Many of us leave them out as visual reminders." Instead, keep one running master list of to-dos, or better yet, track them on your computer with software like Microsoft Office.

Old bills, receipts and forms add to the chaos. Roll up your sleeves and dive into the pile, filing what's important and tossing what's not. Then commit to dealing with new paperwork as soon as it crosses your desk, using filing containers that are functional yet soothing: attractive fabric-covered boxes, accordion files in serene greens and blues, woven baskets. And look at containers with a fresh eye. Perhaps stash paper clips in a jewelry box or store software in artful music CD cases.

Extra Zen In feng shui, says Varone, the space around the door is key. Keep it clear of clutter and you'll make room for positive energy to flow into your office space.

Soothing sleep

Are you constantly clearing the bed of strewn clothes before you climb in? Knocking over things each time you reach for the lamp? Clutter can definitely disturb a good night's rest. "It makes it difficult for you to settle down," says Dr. Tessina.

To get the room organized and keep it that way, vow to make the bed each morning. It forces you to clear off and put away any clothes that you may have tossed there.

Also, rethink the stockpile of stuff on your bedside table and dresser. Keep out essentials only and relocate the rest to a drawer. If you can get into these habits, says Morgenstern, you'll be met with an inviting space rather than a chore at the end of a busy day.

Extra Zen Bring in calming natural elements: Place a potted plant in the corner. Hang nature photos. Put down a sisal area rug.

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